the box pro CX 5

So many products here on Thomann and for us mainly English speakers not enough reviews appear. Or maybe they don't appear fast enough for us! Well this CX5 I bought mainly on faith. The similar Behringer and Mackie products are both well reviewed but for my purpose I did not want to pay the extra for the Mackie and I did not trust the Behringer would be reliable enough and also without a coaxial speaker I guessed it may need a little bit of high end lift. Start messing with eq and then feedback and all that and life starts to get difficult eh? Gigs-we just want an easy life don't we? I have not used this in anger yet just gave it a quick run-through here at home and it's an admirable product I think. The top corners are so pointed they could be classed as lethal weapons! The design looks nice but round of those corners designers or you may well be implicated in a personal injury case (I say this tongue in cheek but stranger things have happened). As I guessed it goes damn loud. A little hard in the midrange but there is a midrange control to tame that if needed. The bass is a bit more than I expected and it seems like it can handle modern R&B music for example with the bass boosted even more so not bad really. It does not break up and sound unduly stressed in such use. There is detail to the sound and a confidence and assuredness to the whole package. It's solid and the buttons do their buttony thing as they should. There is some noticeable white noise/hiss on switching on. Won't make any difference in a gig situation but if you are sat just across from it and playing at a very low level you MIGHT notice it. I doubt it. I like it overall. It's what I expected and seems not to be trying to overreach with any aspect of the design. I wish wish wish they would put reverb in these things. A reverb unit is nearly always a hassle to carry and power and just an extra box to mess with. It's got a mic input so it's fair to say it will need reverb for the performer. Oh well ten years hence they will all have reverb because that will be the last way they can outdistance each other with their product. All the bells and whistle that will be included and it's always back to basics. Power clarity, facilities, ease of use these are the necessities of the singular artist at an event. It won't change. Please note I have not tried a mic in it yet. I guess it will be fine but if it is not I will amend this review. There are lots of speakers to choose from now that can do the monitor thing at a pinch. This is more suited to the job ergonomically and it is dour and plain enough to look fully professional and not upstage your handsome/pretty looks!
Recommended.

Okay I've waited a few months to do this review I wanted to give it a fair shot. I know when I ordered it I wasn't expecting anything too fancy because it was so cheap, but when it arrived I was very pleasantly surprised by its look and build (I was taken instantly back to my childhood and good old "Tonka Toys").
This thing has a robust tough plastic case and a durable metal front grill a solid handle for carrying around (you could even suspend/hang it by the handle). There are five inputs in total ample for most of my needs. It has a tripod bracket so that it can fit on top of a mic stand.

I've used this for small intimate restaurant type gigs where my voice doesn’t need much amplification
I put my VL3X pedal through it to carry the effects for my voice, guitar and running any backing tracks/loops through it.
At bigger gigs I use it as my personal (in my face) monitor for which it is more than ample.
I've used it to boost the volume of my uBass and my Acoustic guitar/bass at tiny pub garden events (it is perfect for this).
I've also used it to run my iPod through for some background music.

I've read other reviews where the reviewer wasn't happy about it not having any built in effects, well what do you expect for that price plus built in effect are overrated and have far less control.

Yes it does have sharp corners and I have noticed that the new thing these days is for music equipment to be sporting soft comfy corners like they've just stepped out of "Mothercare" I like the sharp corners if they hurt you then you are standing too close to my monitor so "get back into the audience with you". If it worries some of you too much one can always get the "Sugru" out and mamby pamby it for the softer types out there.

The thing is clear as a bell at all volumes and no feedback problems (unless you are a plonker and point your microphone directly at it).

No real cons as far as I can see other than I'd like to be able to buy a short mic pole to fit in the top so that the mic stand it sits on becomes a bit more multi purpose.

All in all it does what it says on the tin and I am seriously considering buying another.